Demons hunt shifters in Cynthia Cooke‘s new paranormal romance, Lying with Wolves. With the threat closing in on their loved ones, can Celia Lawson and Malcolm Daniels protect everyone — and find their way back to one another? Keep reading for an excerpt from Lying with Wolves, on sale from Harlequin Nocturne.

About the Book:

Only her powerful magic can save the Colony and the man she loves…

In the wake of a betrayal, Celia Lawson, the last of a preeminent magical bloodline, is building a new life for herself outside the security of the Colony. Meanwhile, demon raiders have breached the protective barriers of the compound and are threatening everyone she loves. When she learns of the tragedy, Celia races home to help mount a magical offensive—and finds comfort back in the arms of the shifter who broke her heart….

Risking exposure for all that he’s done, Malcolm Daniels wants only to redeem himself with the pack and win back Celia’s trust. But as demon forces invade, Celia’s magic—and her own conflicted feelings for Malcolm—will be tested in ways neither of them ever would have imagined.

Excerpt:

As the first streaks of dawn lit the horizon, she ran. Her paws scraped along the fine red dust of the desert floor as she dashed through creosote bushes, snakeweed and prickly pear cacti, her nose filling with the honey scent of graythorn.

She paused, catching a different scent—the tangy musk of fear. Her sharp eyes scanned the area in the lingering darkness as she searched the desert floor for shadows, for movement, for something to chase. And there it was, frozen next to a sage bush, impossibly large ears twitching, its round eyes wide with fear. A jackrabbit.

She gave chase—the rabbit’s scent filling her nose, the rapid pounding of its small heart thumping in her ears. The rabbit jumped, launching itself at least ten feet, its long legs propelling it at impossibly fast speeds as it zigzagged through yucca and agave.

Exaltation urged Celia faster. She chased the little creature while the sun, cresting beyond the stark canyons, lit the sky in an explosion of color. Power pulsed through her body, with each step rejoicing in her freedom as she raced through the morning air. She wished she could run like this all day but knew it would be too risky here in the Arizona desert, where people rose with the sun.

Then she heard the sound she’d been so afraid would come.

Just a murmur at first, far in the distance, but then the sound grew louder. Closer.

Do you remember falling in love that first time? Do you remember how it took over life so completely? Can you remember how perfect that person was? How they were beautiful and smart and funny and understood you in ways that were almost scary. How it was something like saying hello and something like coming home and almost-but-not-quite like falling backwards off a cliff? There’s nothing like the first time at first love.

INDELIBLE is a “first time” book—first time for falling in love, first time holding hands, first time feeling all the feels; that first touch, that first kiss. Writing it was a first for me, too, being the first book in my first series and the most exciting thing of all was getting permission to go past all those firsts and explore beyond those early fluttery fireworks to get at what makes a relationship tick (and keep on ticking)!

Ink and Joy’s relationship evolves in book two. In fact, I think that is the best thing about INVISIBLE because we get to go beyond the “honeymoon” stage of first love and see what’s really there under the surface; deeper than we thought and more foreign than we knew. After the first, blissful nose dive into romance, we come up for air and realize that, okay, maybe this person isn’t the best looking person on the planet and, okay, that cute little laugh is kinda irritating, and wait a minute—they don’t really believe what they just said, do they…?

That sound you hear is reality setting in.

It slowly dawns on you that this is not some ideal angel who appeared for the single purpose of mirroring your personal fantasies in every way, but a living, breathing, thinking person who has opinions, thoughts and quirks completely independent of yours. That’s not a bad thing necessarily, but it can come as quite a shock. We now look at this person with new eyes and try to make the Before and After images fit. How can our lover be both familiar and a stranger, newly exciting and off-putting, demanding information and compromises—this is when we have to decide whether we were right about this “love” thing or maybe, just maybe, we’ve been stupid. It feels a little bit rocky and a lot like betrayal. Joy and Ink get to go there.

They start to wonder, start to question both themselves and their instincts, worry a little more and quarrel for the first time. They don’t always agree. They don’t always get what they want. They don’t always want the same things. And that’s when they begin to see—really see—the person in front of them instead of the projection of what they thought they were. This is the true first: learning to love the real person and not the fantasy, accepting someone for who they are and who they aren’t.

Or not.

You’ll just have to read the next book, INVISIBLE, and see whether “first love” is the same thing as “forever.”

Dawn Metcalf ’s second book in the Twixt series, INVISIBLE, is available on September 30th. You can keep up with news, contests, giveaways and current events on her website www.dawnmetcalf.com. She has been married to her husband for fifteen years this October.

Joy Malone wants it all—power, freedom and the boyfriend who loves her. Yet when an unstoppable assassin is hired to kill her, Joy learns that being the girl with the Sight comes with a price that might be too high to pay. Love will be tested, lives will be threatened, and everyone Joy knows and cares about will be affected by her decision to stand by Ink or to leave the Twixt forever.

Her choice is balanced on a scalpel’s edge and the consequences will be more life-altering than anyone can guess.

About Dawn Metcalf:

The role of Dawn Metcalf will be played by the tall brunette in the off-the-shoulder, floor-length leather straitjacket. Makeup by Clinique, buckles by Jada Pinkett Smith, hair by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

I have no good excuse for the way I write. I lived in a normal, loving suburban home, studied hard, went to college, went to graduate school, got married, had babies and settled down in northern Connecticut. Despite this wholesome lifestyle, I’ve been clearly corrupted by fairy tales, puppet visionaries, British humor and graphic novels. As a result, I write dark, quirky and sometimes humorous speculative fiction.

Vampires have overtaken London in Linda Thomas-Sundstrom’s newest paranormal romance from Harlequin Nocturne, Immortal Obsession. But the key to stopping them may be newscaster Madison Chase and her immortal Protector. Read on for an excerpt from Immortal Obsession…About the Book

As her Protector, he was bound to oblige her every desire.

A rogue group of human-hating vampires have overtaken London. But the elite immortals who own much of the city may have found the key to protecting their territory: Madison Chase, an American newscaster investigating a story about missing teenagers. If she can convince someone to help her infiltrate the dangerous faction, she just might stem the bloodletting and find her brother in time….

St. John can’t escape his dark family legacy. But the instincts that keep him from being fully human also make him the rogues’ worst enemy. His desire for the ethereal redhead is immediate, all-consuming—and forbidden. And as the investigation escalates, Madison must discover if St. John is her trusted Protector—or if she’s being seduced by a monster.

Excerpt:

Death was coming in the form of a cold, hard blackness.

Christopher St. John looked for it with his eyes wide open.

He gave the woman down the block a cursory glance, drawn to the shivering gleams of silver coming off whatever she wore as she passed beneath a streetlight, sensing something else about her that he had no time to explore. Though intrigued by all that shine on a gloomy night, no unnatural darkness floated in the woman’s wake, so he couldn’t afford a second look.

We’ll either destroy them for good, or they’ll destroy us.
Either way, only one of us is walking away.

Alice ‘Ali’ Bell thinks the worst is behind her. She’s ready to take the next step with boyfriend Cole Holland, the leader of the zombie slayers; until Anima Industries, the agency controlling the zombies, launches a sneak attack, killing four of her friends. It’s then she realizes that humans can be more dangerous than monsters; and the worst has only begun.

As the surviving slayers prepare for war, Ali discovers she, too, can control the zombies and she isn’t the girl she thought she was. She’s connected to the woman responsible for killing and turning Cole’s mother. How can their relationship endure? As secrets come to light, and more slayers are taken or killed, Ali will fight harder than ever to bring down Anima even sacrificing her own life for those she loves.

About the author:

GENA SHOWALTER is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the Intertwined novels and several other popular YA and adult series. Her stories have been featured on MTV and in Seventeen magazine and have been praised as “unputdownable.” Growing up, she always had her nose buried in a book. When it came time to buckle down and get a job, she knew writing was it for her. Gena lives in Oklahoma with her family and three slobbery bulldogs. Become a fan on Facebook, follow her on Twitter @GenaShowalter and visit her at genashowalter.com/young-adult/ and at HarlequinTEEN.com.

Are you a gamer? Do you love the excitement of entering another world when you play? But what if you weren’t just enjoying the vicarious thrill of playing as your favorite character in a game — what if you were one?

That’s just what Claudia discovers in Jen Alexander’s new YA novel from Harlequin TEEN, Aftermath. Intrigued? Keep reading for an excerpt from the book, and pick up your copy of Aftermath, on sale now, to find out what Claudia does next after her world-shattering discovery…

About the Book:

Sometimes, I dream that I’m someone else.

A girl with dark hair who doesn’t worry about hunger or thirst or running from flesh-eaters.

In her world, those sorts of things don’t exist….

Since the spring of 2036, when the world changed forever, Claudia and a small clan of survivors have roamed the streets of a very altered Nashville—polluted and desolate, except for the ever-present threat of cannibals. Together they must undergo punishing tests of endurance and psychological challenge—sometimes with devastating consequences—all just to live another day.

With food and water in dwindling supply, and with danger lurking around every corner, no one can be trusted. And as her world starts to make less and less sense, Claudia begins to realize something terrifying: she is just a pawn in some sort of game, and all of her actions are being controlled from afar by a mysterious gamer. So when she meets a maddening and fascinating outsider named Declan, who claims to be a game moderator, she must decide whether to join him in exchange for protection and access to the border.

If they play the game right, they are each other’s best hope for survival—and a life beyond the only world Claudia’s ever known: the terrifying live-action game known as The Aftermath.

Excerpt

August

I can smell a storm coming in. It’s an earthy scent that I can’t ignore, especially when we’re running low on water and I can almost feel the raw ache of thirst in the back of my throat. We need the rain.

I draw in a deep breath to make sure I’m not imagining the scent, but now it’s even stronger, intermingling with the decayed odor of a music shop that caught fire last week.

A few days ago, after we’d raided the little souvenir store across the street from it, something had driven me to go inside. I’d found what was left of two Survivors within the remains of the building, lying side by side on a bed of smashed records and charred instruments with their fingers interlocking.

Let me introduce you to one of my favorite heroes. His name is Rook. Just Rook. He’s been a vampire hunter for more than four hundred years. And he is a mortal man. Secretive and sensual, he is an enigma to those knights whom he commands in the Order of the Stake. He’s never handled a weapon he couldn’t master. He is rarely the loser in a battle against a vampire. He can see a person’s true nature. And he was once a musketeer in the French army. the a

So how has this mortal man lived so long? Perhaps it’s due to the demon Asatru who inhabits Rook’s body. Asatru (let’s call him Oz) is a truth demon. He and Rook get along well and over the centuries have become close (as if they had any other option?). The demon Oz is incorporeal, but Rook is able to let him out once a month, using his body. Yes, it’s a complicated relationship. But when it comes to knowing which of the two to trust, I’d place my bets on Oz. Just sayin’.

Now, four hundred years into this thing called life, Oz wants out. He’s got a child on the way (I did say Rook was able to let Oz out once a month while still, uh…sharing the same body; it’s complicated!), and Oz wants to be there for his family. The only way to release Oz from Rook? Restore Rook’s lost soul to his body. Rook ransomed his soul for the thing that mattered most to him so long ago—his now long-dead wife. But he will reluctantly restore his soul if it means freedom for Oz.

One problem: Rook doesn’t know where his soul is.

Enter, the witch Verity Van Velde. Independent, sexy and more than a little addicted to macarons, she may have a clue about Rook’s missing soul. But can she trust a vampire slayer who wasn’t able to kill the vampire who bit her?

Like most immortal witches, Verity Van Velde knows how to look after herself—and she knows better than to trust any man. But then, a vampire with a grudge roughs her up and steals her precious talisman. Before long, Verity is swept up in a terrifying intrigue—and into the strong arms of a devastatingly sexy vampire hunter.

For the past four centuries, Rook has devoted himself to avenging a terrible loss. But something about this pretty witch calls to him, and it’s not just her long legs…or her pouty lips…or her fiery magic. Something deep inside Rook knows that Verity may be his only chance to find his soul mate—and his soul.

In a world of shadows, anything is possible. Except escaping your fate.

Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been gripped by visions of strange realms just beyond her own. But when her sister goes missing, Ivy discovers the truth is far worse—her hallucinations are real, and her sister is trapped in a parallel realm. And the one person who believes her is the dangerously attractive guy who’s bound by an ancient legacy to betray her.

Adrian might have turned his back on those who raised him, but that doesn’t mean he can change his fate…no matter how strong a pull he feels toward Ivy. Together they search for the powerful relic that can save her sister, but Adrian knows what Ivy doesn’t: that every step brings Ivy closer to the truth about her own destiny, and a war that could doom the world. Sooner or later, it will be Ivy on one side and Adrian on the other. And nothing but ashes in between….

Beyond the Moon by Michele Hauf (Part of the In the Company of Vampires series, Harlequin Nocturne)

Like most immortal witches, Verity Van Velde knows how to look after herself—and she knows better than to trust any man. But then, a vampire with a grudge roughs her up and steals her precious talisman. Before long, Verity is swept up in a terrifying intrigue—and into the strong arms of a devastatingly sexy vampire hunter.

For the past four centuries, Rook has devoted himself to avenging a terrible loss. But something about this pretty witch calls to him, and it’s not just her long legs…or her pouty lips…or her fiery magic. Something deep inside Rook knows that Verity may be his only chance to find his soul mate—and his soul.

A rogue group of human-hating vampires have overtaken London. But the elite immortals who own much of the city may have found the key to protecting their territory: Madison Chase, an American newscaster investigating a story about missing teenagers. If she can convince someone to help her infiltrate the dangerous faction, she just might stem the bloodletting and find her brother in time….

St. John can’t escape his dark family legacy. But the instincts that keep him from being fully human also make him the rogues’ worst enemy. His desire for the ethereal redhead is immediate, all-consuming—and forbidden. And as the investigation escalates, Madison must discover if St. John is her trusted Protector—or if she’s being seduced by a monster.

Ghost House by Alexandra Adornetto (Book one of the Ghost House Saga, Harlequin TEEN)

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Halo trilogy comes the start of a beautiful and powerful new series

After the loss of her mother, Chloe Kennedy starts seeing the ghosts that haunted her as a young girl again. Spending time at her grandmother’s country estate in the south of England is her chance to get away from her grief and the spirits that haunt her. Until she meets a mysterious stranger…

Alexander Reade is 157 years dead, with secrets darker than the lake surrounding Grange Hall and a lifelike presence that draws Chloe more strongly than any ghost before. But the bond between them awakens the vengeful spirit of Alexander’s past love, Isobel. And she will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who threatens to take him from her.

To stop Isobel, Chloe must push her developing abilities to their most dangerous limits, even if it means losing Alex forever…and giving the hungry dead a chance to claim her for their own.

The Aftermath by Jen Alexander (Book one of The Aftermath series, Harlequin TEEN)

Sometimes, I dream that I’m someone else.

A girl with dark hair who doesn’t worry about hunger or thirst or running from flesh-eaters.

In her world, those sorts of things don’t exist….

Since the spring of 2036, when the world changed forever, Claudia and a small clan of survivors have roamed the streets of a very altered Nashville—polluted and desolate, except for the ever-present threat of cannibals. Together they must undergo punishing tests of endurance and psychological challenge—sometimes with devastating consequences—all just to live another day.

With food and water in dwindling supply, and with danger lurking around every corner, no one can be trusted. And as her world starts to make less and less sense, Claudia begins to realize something terrifying: she is just a pawn in some sort of game, and all of her actions are being controlled from afar by a mysterious gamer. So when she meets a maddening and fascinating outsider named Declan, who claims to be a game moderator, she must decide whether to join him in exchange for protection and access to the border.

If they play the game right, they are each other’s best hope for survival—and a life beyond the only world Claudia’s ever known: the terrifying live-action game known as The Aftermath.

Mildly hapless Edinburgh accountant Gwenllian Maule is surviving. Shes got a boyfriend, a rescued pet bird and a roommate to share rent. Gwens biggest challenges: stretching her last twenty bucks until payday and not antagonizing her terrifying boss.

Then Gwen mistakenly drinks a mysterious beverage that gives her heightened senses, accelerated healing powers and astonishing strength. All of which come in handy the night she rescues her activist neighbor from a beat-down by political thugs.

Now Gwen must figure out what else the serum has done to her body, who else is interested and how her boss is involved. Finally—and most mysteriously—she must uncover how this whole debacle is connected to the looming referendum on Scottish independence.

Gwens hunt for answers will test her superpowers and endanger her family, her friends—’even her country.

In a world of shadows, anything is possible. Except escaping your fate.

Harlequin HQN is thrilled to launch New York Times bestselling paranormal romance author Jeaniene Frost’s new trilogy, Broken Destiny. Book one, The Beautiful Ashes, is on sale now and Jeaniene has created this awesome book trailer for it! Check it out:

Exciting, no? Now that we’ve got you pumped about The Beautiful Ashes, keep reading for an excerpt to tide you over until you can get your hands on your own copy of the book

In a world of shadows, anything is possible. Except escaping your fate.

Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been gripped by visions of strange realms just beyond her own. But when her sister goes missing, Ivy discovers the truth is far worse—her hallucinations are real, and her sister is trapped in a parallel realm. And the one person who believes her is the dangerously attractive guy who’s bound by an ancient legacy to betray her.

Adrian might have turned his back on those who raised him, but that doesn’t mean he can change his fate…no matter how strong a pull he feels toward Ivy. Together they search for the powerful relic that can save her sister, but Adrian knows what Ivy doesn’t: that every step brings Ivy closer to the truth about her own destiny, and a war that could doom the world. Sooner or later, it will be Ivy on one side and Adrian on the other. And nothing but ashes in between….

Excerpt:

I’m twenty, and already, I’ve got nothing left to lose. That’s why I didn’t care that Bennington, Vermont, looked like a postcard for autumn in the country. The two-story bed-and-breakfast I pulled up to was no different. It even had a white picket fence and a steady swirl of sunset-colored leaves drifting down from the many trees in the yard.

My picturesque surroundings were in stark contrast to how I looked. If I hadn’t been exhausted from grief and stress, I might’ve cared that my brown hair now resembled greasy mud. Or that my breath was in desperate need of a Mentos, and don’t get me started on the coffee stains decorating my WMU shirt. Since I had more important things to worry about, I didn’t even bother to cover my head against the downpour as I left my car and ran into the bed-and-breakfast.

“One moment!” a cheery voice called out from farther inside. Then a heavyset older woman with graying red hair came down the hallway.

“Hello, dear. I’m Mrs. Paulson. Are you— Oh, my, you’re soaked!”

“It’s nothing,” I said, but she bustled out of sight, returning moments later with a towel.

“You sit down and dry yourself off,” she ordered in the same tsking tone my mother had used a million times before. A surge of grief had me dropping into the chair she waved at. The things you didn’t realize you’d miss until they were gone…

Earlier this year, Harlequin TEEN Executive Editor Natashya Wilson sat down with author Alexandra Adornetto at Book Expo America to talk about her new YA novel Ghost House. Watch the interview below to find out more about this romantic, paranormal read,what how she started writing, her inspiration for Ghost House and more.

About Ghost House:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Halo trilogy comes the start of a beautiful and powerful new series

After the loss of her mother, Chloe Kennedy starts seeing the ghosts that haunted her as a young girl again. Spending time at her grandmother’s country estate in the south of England is her chance to get away from her grief and the spirits that haunt her. Until she meets a mysterious stranger…

Alexander Reade is 157 years dead, with secrets darker than the lake surrounding Grange Hall and a lifelike presence that draws Chloe more strongly than any ghost before. But the bond between them awakens the vengeful spirit of Alexander’s past love, Isobel. And she will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who threatens to take him from her.

To stop Isobel, Chloe must push her developing abilities to their most dangerous limits, even if it means losing Alex forever…and giving the hungry dead a chance to claim her for their own.

We have a fun new way to find a Harlequin category romance to try — by your zodiac sign! Visit our Astro-Reading Match page on Harlequin.com to find a series romance or two that matches up with your astrological sign, from fiery Leos to dreamy Pisces. Personally, I’m a Pisces, which ruled by watery Neptune, the planet of illusions and dreams. I’m matched with series that whisk me away to another world or era — Harlequin Historical, Love Inspired Historical and Harlequin Nocturne. Click here to find out what your match us!

So tell us, do you believe in astrology? Which romance series did YOU get for your sign?